Ron Parker is the free agent safety the Panthers should pursue

Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney has had a pretty promising start to the 2018 offseason. The safety position is still a gaping wound the Panthers are trying to repair with a band-aid, but adding veteran Ron Parker would help a lot.

The 30-year old Parker stepped up for the Kansas City Chiefs a couple of years ago when Eric Berry went down. Parker plays the position wisely and is the under-the-radar guy that the media may not cover much, but teammates adore having on their side.

Parker is a tackling machine and always seems to be around the ball. He has good technique in getting his hands involved, whether it is on deflections or disrupting the play. Much the way Kurt Coleman was prior to arriving in Carolina, Parker doesn’t have a flashy name, but his play is sound and reliable.

There are other names on the market that are either younger (Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro) or more marketable (Tyrann Mathieu), but Carolina’s bank account is dwindling.

Bashaud Breeland was the free agent splash that the Panthers needed to make to improve their secondary. This upgrade over Daryl Worley gives James Bradberry a more reliable wing-man on the opposite side of the field.

The 6-foot, speedy safety would come cheaper than other DBs on the market. He put up solid numbers in 2017, amassing 67 tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions, playing beside the NFL’s top safety, Eric Berry.

The Newberry College product should come home to play for the team that gave him his chance in 2012.

Parker has already said shortly after his release by the Chiefs that he would welcome a return to Carolina.

Ron Parker on now being a free agent & possible landing spot:I'd love to get the chance to go back to the #Panthers. I'd love to be in front of that fan base again and be close to home pic.twitter.com/f7KnpHaddg

There’s a lot to like about Ron Parker and the Panthers look like a logical dance partner with their need at the position. Adding a top prospect like Deshon Elliott or Justin Reid in the draft would put the cherry on top of this secondary, and complete the transformation from 2017.